Who am I?

The DC VOICE Ostrich, a member of DC VOICE, is dedicated to challenging the community to get their heads out of the sand. The success of D.C. Public Schools depends on community involvement in the reform process. Everyone from the community should have a voice in that reform. DC Voice and the DC Voice Ostrich are committed to inform and mobilize the public to hold both the schools and the community accountable for providing high quality teaching and learning for all.

She’s very friendly. Likes sports. Has “great” attention span. Is fairly charismatic and eager to start school .

Currently, she has virtually no where to begin her school experience in the fall. Our current boundary school is Bruce-Monroe Elementary, whose fate is in limbo ever since it was moved to Park View while the new Bruce Monroe is being built. In 2008 Chancellor Rhee closed the school along with 22 others, citing under-enrollment or poor physical conditions as the reason. However, demolition of the old school building just finished last month. And instead of reopening in fall of 2011 as originally intended, it is expected that our neighborhood will not see another school for at least another 3 to 5years.

Not wanting to go far from our neighborhood on Georgia Avenue, my wife and I visited nearly a dozen schools in Wards 1 and 2. None of them blue ribbon or “west-of-the-park” schools as conventional wisdom would suggest, just places we thought our daughter would be physically safe and academically challenged.

Through DCPS’ lottery system we were able to apply to a maximum of 6 schools outside our “boundary”. The result… we did not get into any of our choices and were no lower on the waiting list than the 25th spot. The Out-of-Boundary Lottery allows parents to apply for kindergarten through 12th grade at a different DCPS school than their child's assigned school(s). As an advocate for DC Public Schools, I am thrilled that the demand for even moderately performing elementary schools is seemingly so high. Some schools like Bancroft and Thompson took no kids or less than four in the upcoming year’s new class of Pre-K students. However, where does this leave our child? Bruce-Monroe at Park View--while a very quaint school community--has struggled to meet AYP, sits in a 100 year old building, and is still transitioning aggressively to meet the needs of their 56% English Language Learner population.

My wife and I cannot afford private school. And while, Ward 1 hosts some of this city’s best charter schools, the varying level of academic standards and quality of school facilities concerns us, considerably. More importantly, shouldn’t the public school system be relied upon to support local school communities?

We have less than 100 days until the new school year starts and she desperately needs a quality public school option in or near our own neighborhood.

Related Posts:

1 Comentário:

As a Bruce-Monroe teacher and parent of a Pre-Kindergarten child, I encourage you to visit the Pre-Kindergarten classes at our school before you cross it off your list. My son is learning the Pre-K curriculum in English and in Spanish. He comes home each day creating rhymes, counting and singing songs in both languages. He knows most of his initial sounds in English and his syllables in Spanish. He has watched butterflies hatch in his classroom and tadpoles grow and he is loved by his two teachers and their wonderful educational aides. Due to the consolidation with Park View, our school has struggled to make AYP, however, our students in grades K-2 are scoring quite high according to the DIBELS and TRC assessments, indicating that they are on track toward meeting grade level goals in reading fluency. We implement Singapore Math, partner with the Washington Ballet, hold school musicals, and celebrate Hispanic and African American heritage months with gusto. In addition, we have a loyal and active parent organization which kept the school open when it was slated for closure in 2008. As a DCPS parent, I understand your frustration, but I also encourage you to visit your neighborhood school. You might be pleasantly surprised.